Chapter 18
Sam
It had officially been weeks since there has been radio silence between Bella and I. We had not seen each other or even texted since she found out that I am a shifter. I still knew in my gut that I could trust her with my little secret… well my big secret. The fact that I turn into a giant wolf and hunt vampires is a pretty big secret. I definitely could have reached out to her by now and I did try to, but every time I pick up my phone to call her I wuss out. At first, I just wasn't sure what to say seeing how our last visit ended. Now, I just figure that if she wanted to talk to me, she would have messaged me by now. I feel like an idiot, like a love sick teenager, obsessing over a crush.
Yeah, you do sound like a pussy. Man, all you ever think about is Bella. That leech lover has you by the balls dude. Paul thought. We were in wolf form, Paul, Embry, and I, so his thoughts drifted to me through our mind-link. Either text her, or don't, but shut the Hell up about it already.
You're not any better. All you ever do is think about Emily. I shot back, even though I know that the circumstances are different.
Yeah, it is fucking different. Emily is my imprint. Without having to say anything else images of Emily's face pop up to the forefront of our thoughts. It's such a trip when we see the imprinted guys' thoughts about their girls. We see them one way, and then, through the mind-link we see them through their eyes. It wasn't long before the image was interrupted by Embry joining the conversation.
Honestly, Sam, I'm surprised that you didn't imprint on Bella. What you just said about how the guys see their imprints verses how we see them. I mean, I was friends with Bella for awhile, and you see her differently than I do. She's beautiful and funny, smart, but I just don't feel that way about her, it's almost like I CAN'T feel that way about her even if I wanted to. I have similar feelings about Ange, Kim, and Em too.
All I could think about now is the fact that I wish I would have imprinted on her. Her likeness floated in our thoughts for a minute. I just pictured her smiling, her cute little freckles on display. Her rosy blush… that blush when she's bare with me. Before I could stop it my mind was unintentionally filled with memories of the few times we'd been together.
Damn, dude this is what I meant. Stop it. Embry said, trying to deflect the images that were flooding his conscious.
Nah, keep going. Swan is hotter than I thought. Paul chimed in. I growled and immediately shut down those thoughts, annoyed that they saw her and annoyed that they can't help it. Paul could stop being a douche though. Each of the wolves had a life-long pass to see each other's every thought and memory, so it wasn't rare for us to see things we'd rather not. I'd seen Emily, Kim, and Angela on several occasions but the rest of us knew when to keep our thoughts clean. Except maybe Quil. Quil idolizes Paul.
Of course he does I'm a fucking legend. He replied. Embry and I just rolled our eyes internally and thought yeah, sure at the same time. After that, we just let the conversation drop and ran patrol in peace.
It was about two hours later when a sickly sweet and burning bleach scent hit my nose. I could tell the second Paul and Embry caught the scent as well. The fur on our backs stood straight up and I let out a thunderous howl into the evening breeze. It was only seconds before the rest of my brothers began joining us, each letting out a howl of their own,
The stench was coming from the eastern reservation border, so that's the direction we took off in. Our minds were working in unison and our noses were to the ground. That's when I realized that there was not one bloodsucker's scent, but two. This information changed the game for sure. There was something about the scent that was familiar, but I couldn't pick out what it was because it also wasn't a vampire I recognized.
I was thinking the same thing. Jacob responded to my thoughts. No one else noticed the familiarity.
I think it's strange that they have not crossed the treaty line between us and the Cullens. Seth pointed out. I hadn't realized it at first but we had been running parallel to the treaty line since we made it to the eastern border, widely looping around back towards the ocean in the west.
It doesn't smell like Cullen though. Jake said as he pictured Edward and the pixie-like one.
Maybe it's one of the other Cullens? There are how many of them? Quil asked.
Seven. Jake answered, helpfully. But I don't think it would be another Cullen either. Angela told me that Bella left the bloodsucker and asked the family for space. Other than Edward and Alice it doesn't seem like they have a problem respecting her wishes.
All of this was very interesting to me but I have to file it away for later and focus on the task at hand.
It could be some friends of the Cullens that somehow know about the treaty. Jared suggested.
I don't give a fuck who's sparkly ass it is. It's a leech, let's kill it. Paul had to chime in with his usual gumption.
As much as I want to fight, it's probably not a good idea to get into it with a friend of the Cullens. Especially since they have not crossed into our lands. Embry was always the voice of reason. As much as my wolfen instincts were telling me to fight, I wasn't prepared for a fight with the Cullen clan. I know that we could win against them if it did come down to a battle, but it wouldn't be without casualties, and I wasn't willing to lose any of my guys.
I don't want to fight either necessarily, but just because they haven't crossed the border, doesn't mean that they aren't hunting. Plus, just because they haven't crossed the treaty doesn't mean that they are friends with the Cullens. We run patrols here every single day, our scents are everywhere. Jared spoke up again.
We will reserve judgement until we know who they are… or at least what their diet is. I made my order.
We pressed on and kept quiet as we sought out the source of the rancid stench. That's when we were all stopped in our tracks by the howl we didn't recognize. It was the howl of a new wolf phasing for the first time.
Author's Note:
This one is another short one… I'm sorry guys! I have to keep it short though because we are definitely moving forward plot-wise and I want it to be done right. Hang in there with me, Bella and Sam will be together soon! I never said this story would be short so I hope that isn't what you were expecting! haha
As for my other stories, I promise I am NOT abandoning them, I am just trying to get out of this funk and crazy writer's block I have had for awhile now.
Anyways…..
Happy reading!
Dahlia